Identity Theft on Vacation

Travelers beware. ID theft is as real a concern on vacation as at home according the the Privacy Rights Clearhouse, a non-profit organization. SafetyFirst highly recommends their most recent tips:

Tip #1: Beware of secretive movements when paying with your credit card, whether in hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, bars, cruiseships, or the like. If a waiter disappears out of sight, he might be using a card skimmer, a device that clones your card's magnetic strip.

Tip #2: Using wi-fi spots while on vacation can be dangerous. Wi-fi connections, often referred to as "hotspots," are unsecurred and unencrypted.

Tip #3: Secure your checkbook in a locked place in your home instead of dragging them abroad. While traveling, use credit cards or traveler's checks instead. Bank account numbers cannot be learned from travelers checks, and your credit card has a fraud division.

Tip #4: Mail spilling out of your mailbox at home is a red flag not only to burglars, but also invites i.d. theft. Hold your mail at the post office or ask your neighbor friend to collect it for you.

Tip #5: Keyloggers haunt traveling business centers such as hotel internet connections, cyber cafes, and business convention free hookups. Keyloggers, for those who may not be aware, is software that tracks your every keystroke used by criminals. Never access confidential information on a publicly provided computer.

For a complete list, go to www.privacyrights.org.